Liquid fuel rocket engines, for example as taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,879,874, 4,901,525, and 5,267,437 generally employ turbomachinery that is distinct from the main rocket nozzle for pressurizing and/or gasifying the liquid propellants prior to injection into the main rocket nozzle. Furthermore, one or more of the propellant components may be adapted to cool the main rocket nozzle through a associated plumbing circuitry. Accordingly, such systems are generally costly and complex, and the added complexity tends to reduce reliability.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,541,793 and 3,577,735 teaches a turborocket engine wherein liquid propellants are pressurized by respective pumps that pressurize a liquid fuel and liquid oxidizer. One of the propellant components discharges first through the walls of the main combustion chamber for cooling purposes, and then into a precombustion chamber. A portion of the other propellant component is discharged in the precombustion chamber, and the remainder is discharged into the main combustion chamber. The effluent from the precombustion chamber drives a turbine that in turn drives the respective pumps. The effluent then discharges into the main combustion chamber. The discharge nozzles are stationary relative to the respective combustion chambers, which can result in temperature variations within the precombustion chamber than can be stressful to the turbine. Further, the use of liquid propellant for cooling the main combustion chamber increases cost, complexity and weight.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,769,996 and 4,870,825 teach rotary liquid fuel injection systems that incorporate rotary pressure traps, however these systems are incorporated into turbine engines that utilize a gaseous oxidizer. Neither of these patents teach a turborocket engine that provides for rotary injection of both fuel and oxidizer component.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,602 teaches an effusion cooling system for a gas turbine engine that uses air as the cooling medium. This patent does not teach a turborocket engine, nor does it teach the use of combustion gases from a precombustor for effusion cooling a main combustor.